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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bark — to shout
  4. firm — steady
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — a position
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ground — crushed
  13. scale — in music
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ground — the earth
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. face — part of the head
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com